Scandinavian-Britain

256 SCANDINAVIAN BRITAINJohn's son Magnus ended the Angus line, though itis possible that his sister had married Malise, theearl of Stratherne, who founded the next dynasty.the St. ClairsThe Stratherne family was followed by(1379-1469), of whom William, the last who ruledOrkney under the Norse crown, was invested by KingErik the Pomeranian, in 1434.On the marriage between JamesIII. of Scotlandand Margaret of Denmark, her father, Christian I. ofDenmark and Norway, undertook to give a dowry of60,000 Rhine florins, 10,000 of which were to be paidin cash, and Orkney was pledged for the remainder.Only 2,000 florins, however, were paid, and KingChristian made up the balance by pledging Shetland.Thus the old possessions of Norway came to thecrown of Scotland, but only, in the first instance, as apledge to be redeemed and it is a; question whichhas been much discussed whether the mortgage wasforeclosed, and, if so, when ? Mr. Gilbert Goudie, inhis Antiquities of Shetland, states the case at somelength ;we can give but the barest outline of hisargumentThe continuator of Boece (Ferrerius, Paris, 1574)says that the right of redemption was renounced onthe birth of a grandson (James IV.) to the Danishking, and subsequent Scottish historians repeat thestory. Torfaeus, however (book iii., chapter on thesubject), and other Danish historians state that repeatedefforts were made to regain the islands byoffering payments of the sum due, and that a series ofembassies (1549-1660) were sent to Scotland with